The rise of competition from Google Calendar, Apple iCal, Yahoo Calendar and other companies has given businesses and individuals the opportunity to use different platforms to manage their time and their messages. It was never very friendly or particularly convenient but at a time when the best advice on technical knowhow came from an animated paper clip, the system worked-more or less. Employees would find their work stations already set up with Microsoft Outlook, and from the desk at reception the administrative assistant would enter the company’s dates and meetings in Outlook’s calendar.

Back in the early days of the Web, there was only one way for a business to organize its communications and its schedules.